Avalanche Mailbag 1.0: Coaching, Management, & What Went Wrong in the Playoffs?

The mailbag absolutely went off this week. Thank you all so much for your questions, thoughts, and fun hockey discussions.

I’ve decided to separate the questions into segments because there are just way too many to fit into one story.

On the first edition of the post-playoffs mailbag, I’m covering everything about Jared Bednar’s job, Chris MacFarland’s moves, and what went wrong in the series against the Dallas Stars.

Enjoy!

Questions from Trey and Steeve

Trey: For the last several years, the Avs continue to play a 55-minute game. Problem – Coaching.
In the last 8 years, the special team has been the same, they aren’t fooling anyone. Problem – Coaching.
In the past several seasons, players continue to stop moving and watch the puck. Problem – Coaching.
When you can only play one way and have no ability to adapt. Problem – Coaching.
All problems with this team point to coaching. Why is Bednar being retained?

Steve: Why would you decide to give Bednar another chance? Would you trust that things might be different next time?

Aarif’s Response

I understand the many, many reasons why people are calling for Jared Bednar to get fired. But I still don’t think it’s the right move. When you have a coach who can carry a half-completed roster to high seeds year in and year out, he’s a guy worth keeping around. Over the past two seasons, management has given Bednar scraps to work with until the trade deadline and he’s still made it work while always finishing closer to the top of the standings than the wildcard.

I know having Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Mikko Rantanen helped in each of the last two regular seasons, but we can’t have it both ways. We can’t credit the superstars when the team plays well but go after the coach when Rantanen is traded away and Makar struggles to produce.

Teams that win as much as the Avs have don’t fire coaches like Bednar. Chicago stuck it out with Joel Quenneville in their golden era and it paid off with three Stanley Cups. The Pittsburgh Penguins kept Mike Sullivan around until it was time to rebuild. The Tampa Bay Lightning are riding with Jon Cooper for at least another year.

Since 2018-19, the Avalanche have 50 playoff wins. The only team with more is Tampa Bay at 52. And since then, Colorado leads the league in regular season wins.

At some point a team needs a new voice. I just don’t believe that time is now.

Question from Stetcher

Why has the media always tried to protect Bednar despite the fact that he had been demonstrating for a few years that he was no longer the solution?

Aarif’s Response

The simple answer is, he’s a great coach.

Question from Tony

Tony: Do you think that the Avalanche firing assistant coach Ray Bennett is really going to change things on the power play?

Aarif’s Response

I do think it’ll change things, yes. Honestly, I’m surprised it took this long for any kind of change to be made to Bednar’s staff. Not because Nolan Pratt or Bennett are bad coaches, but because changing an assistant coach is a simple move that can go a long way.

I’m not entirely sure who the Avs go after just yet but the loss of Rantanen means the power play is going to have a different look anyway. May as well get a fresh voice in there to help create new magic.

Questions from Zach Moody, Jeffrey Anderson, and Chris Duncan

Zach: How does Chris MacFarland keep his job when he hasn’t been able to secure a sustainable future for the franchise? Besides the acquisitions of the goalies this season, MacFarland has traded away every valuable asset for pure rentals the past two seasons. The pieces received for Bowen Byram, the 4th overall pick from 2019, have essentially disappeared. They have 33-year-old Charlie Coyle as a result and lost a second-round pick and Will Zellers in the process. Trading away a first-round pick for the rental of Sean Walker and getting rid of that terrible Ryan Johansen gamble. Trading away Calum Ritchie with a 2026 first-round pick for rental Brock Nelson, trading away 2025 second-round pick in the Lindgren trade too.

Chris: Byram for Mittelstadt, Moose for Necas, Mittelstadt for Coyle, Johansen and a first for Sean Walker, and Ritchie and a first for Nelson. Outside of Blackwood it feels like MacFarland lost most of the trades he made. Outside of Nikolai Kovalenko, who was used to acquire Blackwood, it feels like they haven’t found a contributor in the farm system in years. Feels like these issues compound each other. I don’t think there’s an easy solution but I feel confident in saying MacFarland won’t find a solution if there is one to be found. Is it time for him to go?

Jeffrey: Why are Joe Sakic and the Kroenke’s going to allow Chris MacFarland to be GM going forward?

Aarif’s Response

Chris MacFarland is a smart hockey mind and was a big part of what the Avs built in 2022. I’m not going to take any of that away from him. He was also the one that recommended Bednar for the coaching position when Patrick Roy suddenly quit. But I also agree that the moves since 2022 haven’t worked out — and that aligns with the time he became the day-to-day guy as the GM.

I wrote what I wrote last week because the Rantanen saga was the cherry on top of some already questionable moves. To me, MacFarland is developing a bit of a reputation of constantly putting out fires he created.

The Byram trade tree is an epic failure. Why was Coyle acquired without salary retention? How do you commit to a third-line center at $5.25 million when you already have MacKinnon at $12.6 million and no 2C? Are you planning on playing Coyle at 2C?

The moves he made around the deadline this year mortgaged quite a bit of assets. I knew back then that he was overpaying while fixing mistakes he created in the past. But it doesn’t change the fact that he built an excellent roster. It was easy to put these thoughts on hold for a long playoff run. Unfortunately, that roster only won three playoff games. Now we’re back to square one.

It’s all very strange, and it’s why I felt the team needed a change. Hopefully he’s learned from his past mistakes. He’s got what it takes to build a roster but the desperation moves over the past two deadlines were way too much.

But no excuses now. You have clarity on both Gabe Landeskog and Valeri Nichushkin. You have your goaltending solved. Build your roster in the oddseason and give Bednar the group he’s going to have through the season and into the playoffs. Maybe that way the Avs can win the division and not get stuck in the 2v3 matchup like the last two years.

MacFarland should’ve been let go. I stand by that. But it doesn’t mean he can’t fix this. I’m excited to see what he pulls off over the next four months or so. But all I know is, other contenders usually use the deadline to find additional help. The Avs, these last two years, have been using the deadline to fill positions that should’ve been filled in the summer.

Question from Derek S.

Do you think MacFarland regrets the trades made over the last two years?

Aarif’s Response

Yes. The Byram trade, the Ryan Johnasen failure, the Nelson deal, and many more.

Question from Chris

How much of this can be traced back to not re-signing Nazem Kadri? Feels like we’ve gutted the organization trying to fill that 2C spot.

Aarif’s Response

Pretty much all of it. Not signing Kadri was a massive mistake and it’s why I’m not a fan of the direction MacFarland has chosen to go since then. I’ve defended him quite a bit over the years because I do think he’s done a lot of great things.

But losing Kadri led to the Johansen experiment, which led to the loss of a first-round pick, then the loss of Byram for Casey Mittelstadt, then Mittelstadt, a second-round pick, and Will Zellers for Coyle.

It would’ve been tight to sign Kadri in the summer of 2022, but that would’ve only been tight for one year and then you have your reliable 2C locked up for a reasonable cap hit without losing all those assets in an attempt to replace him. I still stand by the thought that they should’ve signed him and dealt J.T. Compher to make space. But it’s all in the past now.

Oh, by the way, it would’ve been the same with Rantanen. The cap situation is tight right now and would’ve been tighter if Rantanen hypothetically signed the same deal here as he did in Dallas. But it would’ve only been tight for one year before the cap starts to make meteoric rises. Then you have your superstar winger locked up in his prime and can build around him.

Question from Blake Martinez

What was MacFarland’s worst decision and Bednar’s worst decision since they were in office.

Aarif’s Response

MacFarland: The Byram trade. Mittelstadt wasn’t the guy to offload Byram for. With MacKinnon at 1C, the Avs always were better when someone like Ryan O’Reilly or Kadri played 2C — guys that play a strong two-way game, win faceoffs, and kill penalties. Mittelstadt isn’t that.

About a month before that trade, I went on a podcast with the guys at Guerilla Sports and said the Avs should find a way to use Byram as a the main piece to pry Joel Eriksson Ek out of Minnesota. That would’ve been a much better fit. (And yes I know, it takes two to tango and there are no guarantees that the Wild would’ve wanted to move him).

Bednar: I think overplaying Alexandar Georgiev in the regular season each of the past two seasons wasn’t great. But then again, it goes back to roster build and the lack of a true backup goalie.

Questions from QuaidHowser and avsfan1701

QuaidHowser: Do you think the Avs front office will ever understand that come playoff-time it’s better to have at least two or three big bruiser-type physical defenseman on their blueline as opposed to small, finesse guys like Samuel Girard & Sam Malinski who are easily worked by opposing forecheckers?

avsfan1701: How should they address the second and third defense lines? They seemed to be more ineffective and prone to errors during the postseason?

Aarif’s Response

I do think this is something that needs to be rectified this offseason. Girard is a wonderful player but I do think it’s time for him to move on. With Cale Makar and Devon Toews on the top pair, you need a bigger body playing the role of your No. 3 defenseman eating up big minutes.

It helps in the regular season and even more in the playoffs. I’m not sure who they could get, or what the market is for someone like Girard, but I do think it’s something they should look into. That way you have your top pair, and you have sam Malinski on the third pair. The other three defensemen should all be bigger bruisers (like Josh Manson, if he’s not dealt).

Question from Jenny

If we only look at the Avalanche team and not the opponent, who are the culprits of the elimination (forwards, defensemen, goaltender, coach, GM) and why?

Aarif’s Response

I love this question. That series was truly a game of inches and I think there’s plenty of blame to go around on Colorado’s side without even digging into the other team’s coaching or individual performances.

For me, the lack of adjustments on the power play rubbed me the wrong way. They should’ve elevated Valeri Nichushkin to the top unit. And him and Landeskog should’ve been parked in front of the net. It was stagnant and changes weren’t being made quick enough.

I thought Blackwood was great to start the series but a touch leaky in the later stages. But I’m not placing any blame on him. Jake Oettinger outplayed him but not by much.

Question from Michael

Since taking office, do you think MacFarland has done a good job and why?

Aarif’s Response

Let’s take a look at some of the successful moves he’s made.

He did a great job getting value for Alex Newhook. He basically turned him into Ross Colton and Mikhail Gulyeyev — a late first-round pick in 2023. If the Avs trade Colton this summer, I’m curious to see what they get for him too.

Also, the goaltending moves were excellent. Scott Wedgewood was a perfect addition for his role and they got him at a very low cost. And Blackwood for basically Kovalenko and a second-round pick? Sign me up. That’s a steal. I also like the Jonathan Drouin experiment and how that’s played out. I know he struggled in the postseason but he was a great help over the last two Landeskog-less seasons.

With that being said … Far too many misses offset the good he’s done. Many of which I’ve referenced in some of my responses above.